Star Wars: Nexus of the Force
by Jedireaper
Summary: A sequel to the Snotzenexer Trilogy by David Pontier. Luke and Mara must trust the Force to guide them when they locate the grave of an ancient Jedi Master. Meanwhile the Solo children and Eran follow leads that tie the remaining Imperials to Snotzenexer.


Star Wars: Nexus of the Force

**Star Wars: Nexus of the Force**

**By Kevin Traynor**

_Author note:_** _Lucas Books Limited _**_copyrights** Star Wars™ **fiction._

_I do not own **Star Wars™**, its characters, plot, story and/or other published materials._

_I do not own the characters created by David Pontier or his affliates._

_What I do own are my original characters and plot._

_I do not intend to make money from this story or to publish this material for profit to myself. _

_This is purely a work of satire._

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- This story is set generally thirty three years after Return of the Jedi

- Around twenty eight years after the Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn

- About two and a half years after The Dark Ring story by David Pontier

- And two months after The Snotzenexer Trilogy by David Pontier

- The Snotzenexer story arc replaces the official storyline where The New Jedi Order series has just kicked off

-- -- -- -- --

_Enjoy!!_

-- -- -- -- --

Chapter 1 "Apparitions and Instructions"

"Luke." A voice spoke eerily into the darkness of the night. "Luke." The strange but soft voice repeated.

Luke was lying in his bed, asleep, but had a frown creasing his brow as his mind searched out the mental summons. Reaching out with the Force Luke's mind touched these strangely luminescent beings and his eyes slowly flitted opened, Luke's body awakening with the Force.

An open window allowed a warm caressing breeze to waft through and into the room, fluttering the curtains and carrying the sounds of the jungle foliage beyond.

"Luke." A much sharper voice snapped. The voice had been much closer to Luke, and was not simply a gentle summons, but more of a command.

Luke did not hear this call physically, for that would require his ears to detect the vibration of air particles that were between the speaker and the listener, however this was not the case as the voice was mental and resided within his brain.

Luke's eyes snapped open and while yawning he glanced at the digital chrono on his bedside cabinet. The unforgiving and brightly defined red numbers, that made Luke blink several times before he could clearly see the numerical display, told Luke the time was: "02:37". Early morning.

Luke removed himself from his bed and used the Force to rid himself, mentally, of the remaining tiredness as he dressed himself in a brown robe. The long and heavy fabric stopped a few centimetres short of the floor.

As Jedi Masters mind wondered, he could sense the fabric of Force that was emitted from his Jedi Academy. He could feel the potential that were his many sleeping students, the bright Force glows that were his fellow Jedi Masters, the smaller Force resonance of the hundreds of animals that resided in the living, breathing jungle that surrounded the Academy, and something else, something he couldn't quiet place his mental finger on.

Luke focussed more Force energy into the search, while stretching his arms, legs and spinal cord to remove the physical aspect of sleep from his body. This was something he had learned to do over the past three years, not rely on the Force for everything.

After several seconds his mental search bore fruit: Within the realm of the Force that was life, he saw beings that shone brightly, their presences were pure Force energy and were very familiar to Luke, recognising them caused Luke to smile as two blue hued apparitions of the Jedi Masters: Obiwan Kenobi and the small form of Yoda slowly came into a somewhat transparent existence.

After several moments Luke bowed and then spoke. "Ben! Yoda!" He said each Jedi's name in turn of whom he had first met. Both the three-foot tall Yoda and the much taller Obiwan nodded. "To what honour should I attain this visit?" Luke grinned, happy to see, once more, his old masters.

The small and ancient, green skinned and blue hued force ghost of Yoda shifted and looked down at the floor of Luke's room as Obiwan did the opposite. Ben looked directly into Luke's eyes. Yoda spoke first. "For interrupting your sleep, sorry we are." Yoda remained staring at the ground and spoke kindly, but had a strange edge to the ancient Jedi Masters voice that Luke couldn't identify.

After several quiet moments, Obiwan Kenobi, the Jedi Master who had first instructed Luke spoke with such sadness in his voice that Luke could not even begin to contemplate why. "Luke. This may be the last time you will ever see us." Obiwan sighed and Luke noticed that Obiwan looked very tired, as did Yoda for that matter. Luke nodded in understanding of what Obiwan had meant, the greying master continued. "Luke. We have little time left, and even as I speak our connection to the physical plane has diminished, soon we will fully pass into the life flow of the force." Obiwan paused and took a slow, deep breath, one that sucked up no air.

Luke, considering Obiwan was a Force ghost and not physically within the world of the living, didn't seem phased by the phenomena.

"Luke, we are proud of what you have achieved, in returning the Jedi to the galaxy, but soon, all you have done, all that has been achieved…" Ben Kenobi trailed off and the Jedi Master stared at the ground.

Yoda looked up and he continued for Obiwan. "A rupture within the Force, there has been." The small, green Jedi croaked, his pointed ears twitching as he was speaking. "This rupture. Tear the very fabric of the galaxy, it will." The small Jedi Master walker forward to Luke and acted to prod him with his walking cane. "Everything that, achieved you have," Yoda paused for effect, "nothing, it will be." Yoda's voice was sincere and carried a mental emphasis that saddened Luke greatly.

Luke then turned from them and made his way over to the small kitchen utility within the room. After he settled a pot of stimsuline onto one of the stoves heating rings and switching it on, he then turned back to Yoda and the now silent Obiwan. Listening to everything the Jedi Master had been saying Luke nodded. "what must be done, masters?" Luke asked, inclining his head slightly.

The apparition of Obiwan looked up from his blank staring. The two-time mentor, first to Anakin Skywalker, Luke's father, then to Luke himself, sighed and with a great pain in his voice, spoke. "Luke…" He faltered, taking a moment to collect himself before he continued. Luke looked up. "Luke," he began, "you must go to the Xarmerr system." The Jedi Master said. While Obiwan spoke Yoda watched Luke closely.

Luke shook his head. "I, I don't under stand. What will I find there?" He asked.

Yoda spoke. "Find you will, knowledge. Secrets hidden, kept there they have been." Yoda noticed Obiwan looking blankly at the opposite wall of Luke's room.

"I fear our time has drawn to a close. We 'must' save our energy." Obiwan 'Ben' Kenobi turned to Yoda, his lips didn't move when he spoke the next words; "I feel it is coming."

Obiwan's ghost started to dissipate and Yoda nodded as Obiwan's shimmering blue body finally disappeared into the life flow that was the Force. Yoda remained and turned to Luke. "Luke, with caution, proceed you must. Once more, rests on you, the fate of the galaxy does." Yoda turned to the window and walked up to the sill. The breeze picked up slightly as Yoda looked, unseeingly, out across the vast, dense, dark jungle of Yavin IV. "Luke," The small, green, nine hundred year old Jedi Master whispered. "Ahead, dark times lay. Trust, misplaced you should watch. Beware…" With that Yoda's glowing apparition began to disappear along with one sentence. "It is coming."

The pot of stimsuline was fully heated now and Luke removed the appliance from the stove. He poured himself a cup of the steaming hot liquid, his thoughts racing as the last words Yoda had spoken rattled about in his mind; "It is coming." Luke sipped the hot drink, burning his lips. "Ah!" He wiped his lower lip with his free hand. Luke glanced at the digital chrono: "02:46". Nine minutes had passed.

Luke was now awake, and with little point in going back to bed Luke sighed and decided to start researching and preparing.

The jungle moon of Yavin IV was filled with noise, as the sounds of the planets nocturnal wildlife flowed into the room, Luke relaxed into the current of life and filled his body with the Force.

* * *

Leia Organa Solo, the Republic's President, stood before the assembly of senators on a repulsor podium. The senate building in question was a magnificent size, which encompassed more than ten thousand senators and was filled with similar but smaller podiums to the President, which was now slowly circling high above what one would consider 'ground level'.

One of the senators was speaking. The senator that currently had the spotlight was Arkat Mressa, a female Yslarian of Yslar.

The Yslarian race were humanoid in general. They were characterised by their blue skin, short height and somewhat stocky build. Mressa was four foot three, had brown flowing hair braided in a bun and was wearing a regal white dress brimmed with thin blue stitching. Her singsong voice echoed throughout the grand chamber. "From what I have heard," The senator's voice echoed within the grand senate hall, her basic was almost plausible as a first language and the alien senator spoke the language with her native twist of musically elongating the 'E' sounds and her voice was amplified by countless speakers and heard by all the senators, "the Yslar Dominion would not benefit greatlyyy in joining the Reeepublic until weee are sure that the Reeepublic can stand by its own promises of safetyyy, securityyy, freeedom and peeeace."

Leia stood at the podium. "Representative of the Yslar race and fellow senators. I am sure you are all worried of the stability of our government. I will tell you this now," Leia's voice boomed out, "the Republic is in a much stronger position, economically and our government is stable as you can see." She tried to put confidence into her voice. "Since the Snotzenexer incident, our government has under gone some radical changes. Rest assured that we are contending with all the problems that has arisen from the recent Imperial attacks and takeovers."

The senator from Iom, the planet on which Admiral Snotzenexer had at first taken control of the Varion Imperial Bank and had begun what many investors and the media had at the time considered, a miracle, being able to accurately predict what and where to place the banks stock. Then after he destroyed the company, the bank gained millions from exchanged stock. The senator spoke up. "The Iom government has clearly stated that they played no part in the events that transpired during or after the time of Snotzenexer's take over. However, that doesn't rule out possible link to our planet and so, on behalf of our government we would like to offer the Republic our sincerest apology."

Leia turned to the Iom senator. "Senator Viol Kollor, the Republic does not hold Iom, its people, or its government, responsible for the events that have taken place regarding its Varion Imperial Bank." A series of repulsor holocams buzzed around the Senate arena, and in particular, centred on Leia and the Republics repulsor platform. "I reassure you senator that we hold no bad tolerance to your government."

One of the former Imperial senators from the planet Gionirif, Ronal Jion made a comment. "I would like to remind the senate that today's meeting is in the welcoming of several new members to our Republic." the man said mockingly, his fellow senators laughed among themselves. "Not to clean up the mess that the Republic has gotten itself in."

Leia gave Jion a hard stare and turned back to Mressa. "It is of course your frethas decision if you join the Republic." Leia had taken the day before this meeting to study the Yslarian race. She kept her features passive when she used some words from the Yslarians native tongue, although inwardly, she smiled. Leia hoped that 'frethas' stood for 'peoples' as the short summary on their language had indicated, although there was no direct translation from basic to Yslaran.

Arkat Mressa cracked a smile in a human fashion; she had studied as well, her people used music to convey emotion and it had taken her over a week to learn to speak basic and to practice human gestures (Yslar's love to learn new things, Mressa being no exception). Her smile didn't falter when Leia returned it. Mressa spoke. "Wee should have no trouble in convincing my 'freeethas' to join the Reeepublic." Mressa dropped the smile and adopted a grin instead. "Weee will discuss with our peeeople," she used the human word. "And will join, pending our acceptance."

Leia allowed herself a grin of her own.

Twenty minutes later, Leia exited her repulsor podium and ran into the arms of Han Solo. The ex-Smuggler swept his wife up off her feet and the two embraced. They kissed as Han gently settled Leia back to the floor. Han grinned and Leia smiled as husband and wife looked into each other's eyes. See-threepio hovered about behind Han. His golden mechanical frame gleamed in the light from the glow panels that lined the hallway. "Mistress Leia did the senate meeting go well? You seem happy." The droid stated the obvious. Han shot threepio a look that the robot ignored.

"Yes, threepio. Everything is fine." Leia answered without paying much attention. Han and Leia strolled away down the hallway. Han glanced over his shoulder at threepio as they turned to head for the speeder park. The protocol droid tilted his head and shuffled after the couple.

* * *

Lando Calrissian strolled into the mess hall building of his asteroid crystal mine encampment and was greeted by the familiar faces of Lobot, Mansenchin, Herta and Jalence, as they looked up from the single table that the group was sitting at, the latter pair being husband and wife. Their discussion ended as soon as he had entered.

Lobot, Lando's friend, aide and partner stood from his table. While the female simply nodded at his appearance. "Lando," Herta greeted, "where have you been the past week?" She smiled.

Lando looked at the four people within the mess hall, flashing a smile that would melt butter. "Coruscant. Just finished helping Han with the Republics financial problems."

Lobot smiled. "We know that. We mean, what were you actually doing. You were supposed to be back three days ago."

Mansenchin looked over at Lobot and shook his head. "Sorry guys. Lando called three days ago and explained that he would be delayed. He said…"

"I said I had some business that I had to clean up first." Lando interjected.

Jalence smiled. "Always the businessman huh Lando." The computer expert stood from the table, showing the three data pads he had coupled together in his hand. "I'll be off. There is still some information on those captured Imperial computers that I still need to check." Jalence started walking to the door. As he passed Lando he slipped him one of the data pads. "You have a few personal messages, and I think that you should see some of the Imperial files that I located, so I uploaded them to that data pad." Jalence then continued through the doors and outside into the air of the atmospheric shield encasing the camp. Jalence tossed a devious grin over his shoulder as he made his exit.

Lando frowned. "He feeling okay?" He asked, turning his head to look at the short man sitting at the table with a steaming mug of stimsuline in his hands.

Mansenchin shot the departing Jalence an annoyed look before the door shut, closing off the sight of Jalence's back. Mansenchin growled then shifted his view to look at Lando.

"Oh, don't worry about him, Lando. Jalence has been like that since Mans' here discovered an Imperial signal." Herta placed a pot of stimsuline on the table.

Lando stood by the closed door looking questioning at Mansenchin. "There's another Imperial tech room?" He asked.

Mansenchin looked up. "Not exactly…" he began uneasily, "I was in the sensor room messing around with the long range scanner and I bumped onto a similar signal to the one we had recorded."

"When were you going to tell me?" Lando moved over to the table.

"Mans' was saving the news for later," Herta cut in with a cheerful smile covering her pretty features, "when he was going to show you some of the other finds in the mine." She said. "Isn't that right?" She asked Mansenchin happily.

Mansenchin smiled thankfully at Herta. "That's right. We found a deposit of industrial grade crystals." He smiled at this.

Lando thought for a moment, wondering if he should pursue for more information but he decided to wait. Lando smiled again and took a chair opposite Mansenchin and grabbing the pot of stimsuline that was between them as Herta slid a cup along the plastoid table towards him. "So… any other news?"

* * *

Grand Admiral Palleon stood before the reporting Imperial officer. The officer, a Lieutenant, was very nervous as he told the Admiral of the failure at Danzig 359. He struggled with the intelligence reports, as the Admiral remained silent, tolerantly waiting until the officer paused, which he did.

"So, the Republic actually managed to destroy the Dark Ring. Impressive. Not only that Lieutenant, but defeated Thrawn and Tallon." Palleon commented. "It is a shame, I would have liked to have greeted Thrawn once more."

He paused in thought for a moment, remembering the bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimera, awash in the chaos of battle at the Bilbringi engagement, he remembered how a Norgi had murdered Thrawn, and then, the last words Thrawn had spoken. "But," Thrawn had whispered, "it was so artistically done." It had been nearly twenty-six years ago and Palleon still wished he could go back.

Palleon smiled for Harsom's sake "Well," the Admiral sighed, "that's no longer my concern. Lieutenant Harsom, relax. That's an order." Palleon said calmly.

Harsom nodded and visibly relaxed, the Lieutenants rigid pose slackened slightly and he tried to catch his breath. "Thank you, sir."

"Not a problem. Now Lieutenant Harsom, tell me again. This time take it slow."

Harsom offered the Admiral a half-hearted smile. "Yes, sir." Harsom looked downwards to the data pad he held in his hand, and, with a stylus, skimmed over the intelligence reports once more. "Well, sir. According to fleet intelligence, the Dark Ring was destroyed three-years, two-months and twelve standard days ago. We are still in the process of determining whether this information is accurate, sir."

Palleon nodded. "Is that so?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do they have a possible cause?"

Harsom straightened slightly. "Not as such, but the reports are rather sketchy. At best the reports indicate some type of super-nova bomb must have been used as the star no longer exists."

The Grand Admiral nodded. "What are your thoughts Lieutenant?"

"If the Republic has discovered any of the Empires old weapon store houses then it is possible for them to have obtained the sun crusher torpedo or blueprints from which to design the device."

Palleon removed a comlink from his uniform and activated the small, metallic, handheld device. "Commander Lotheer," he paused, waiting for the Commander to reply.

After a few seconds passed the Commanders voice emerged through the comlink's small speaker, Lotheer's voice sounding metallic as he spoke. "Yes Admiral?"

Palleon looked up at Harsom and spoke into the comlink. "Commander, prepare a shuttle. Have it ready within the hour."

"Yes, sir. Uh, sir may I ask? What…"

Palleon shut off the comlink. "No Commander, you may not." He said to himself, knowing Lotheer would get the message. Harsom saluted as Palleon swept by the Lieutenant and into the hallway from his office. The Admiral motioned for Harsom to follow and the Lieutenant complied. The Admiral walked through the long grey corridor, his military mannered boots echoed loudly in the near empty hallway. The Lieutenant drew alongside his leader. Palleon spoke. "Lieutenant."

"Sir?"

"You are going to accompany me to the Danzig system." Palleon said as they both rounded a corner and continued up the hallway to the single doorway at the end. Two Stormtroopers stood at attention, flanking the door.

The Lieutenant bowed slightly as they walked. "Thank you, sir." Harsom responded.

Palleon slowed his pace slightly. "This is a matter that needs my personnel attention. What you are about to see is almost as top secret as the Dark Ring had been."

Both white armoured troopers saluted. The bone coloured, faceless Stormtroopers held the salute for the Grand Admiral and only dropped the pose when Palleon returned the gesture. The troopers moved aside, hitting the door release to let them pass.

The door slid open, allowing the two Imperial officers a narrow view of the pristine white room beyond. The Stormtroopers closed the door as the pair entered the room.

Within the room were several long rows of computers with various officers and technicians buzzing over the hardware. The conversations between the officers and technicians dulled down at the sound of the new arrivals before the sounds of conversation stopped altogether when the occupants noticed 'whom' their visitors were.

After several moments of still silence a Captain approached Harsom and Palleon. The man bowed for the Admiral. "Welcome sir. This is and unexpected visit, we are honoured by your presence."

Palleon waved the pleasantries away and immediately started into the business at hand. "Captain. I need you to put together a tech team. One that is familiar with the Dark Ring." The Captain nodded and signalled an aide to place down a reminder on a datapad, Palleon continued. "How goes the building process on the Galactic Disrupter?"

The Captain straightened and motioned for the white uniformed Grand Admiral and Harsom to follow. The Imperial officer stopped at a computer terminal that was showcasing blueprints and technical data. The operator looked up at the Captain when he leaned over beside him. The man stood and saluted in a rigid pose.

"At ease." The Captain said casually and only returned the salute just for show. The man's pose slackened visibly. "I want you to retrieve the latest reports from the GD project."

"Yes, sir." The technician sat down at the terminal again and started at the keyboard.

Juion nodded at the terminal screen as the operator brought the latest data from the Galactic Disrupter project up on it. "As you can see Admiral, we are ahead of schedule by almost two years and have already reached the final construction phase."

Palleon looked at the screen to see an infinite amount of numbers and text scroll upward in a dazzling display.

The technician simplified the, on-screen, information verbally. "The Galactic Disrupter is eighty-seven percent completed. We are currently installing the last of the massive fusion engines within the superstructure and are finishing the building process on the two largest production facilities. It will be possible to carry out our first test of the stations systems within the next week." Captain Juion beamed a proud smile on hearing that piece of information. Dan also shared the pleasure. "The Galactic Disrupter is roughly two thousand five hundred kilometres long, four hundred kilometres deep and six hundred kilometres in width at its widest point. Presently the GD currently staffed by ten million personnel, but once completed it will staff approximately seven hundred and sixteen million personnel. That is around five million officers, thirty million technicians, thirty million engineers, two hundred million gun crew personnel, one million pilots, and four hundred and fifty five million troops. Sir, please note that these numbers do not include the one hundred million droids for ship maintenance." The technician paused to allow Palleon to take it all in.

Harsom voiced a question. "With that many staff, won't the interior space of the GD be cramped?"

The technician smiled and answered. "The GD is very spacious within and can hold roughly one billion personnel at maximum. Remember that there are many levels and sub-levels and each has the capacity to hold around fifty to one hundred million working staff, troops and droids. Then there are the four thousand hangers of various sizes; two hundred of which can hold two Imperial class Destroyers or alternatively five Victory class Star Destroyers each. There is one main hanger on the underside, which can store, service and fully repair over one hundred Imperial class Star Destroyers or five hundred Victory class Destroyers at any one time. Another one hundred hangers are for ground equipment such as the fifty AT-AT's spread across several Imperial Star Destroyers, and one thousand AT-ST's stocked on the GD along with one million TX tanks and other ground equipment. There are two thousand four hundred TIE fighters, ranging from the normal TIE's to the newer TIE Defenders and Interceptors, currently stocked on the Galactic Disrupter alone not counting the fleet, and hope to have about fourteen thousand four hundred fighters in total ready to fill three hundred hangers allocated, plus another four hundred and eighty thousand fighters in deep storage. All the remaining hangers are service hangers and personal shuttle bays." The technician paused to allow Harsom or the Grand Admiral time to absorb the information. They were watching the technical readouts line up om the screen. "There are also ten, four-kilometre long and one-kilometre wide production facilities spaced evenly across the heavily armoured underside. Each of these facilities are capable of producing three Imperial class Star Destroyers, or fifteen Victory Destroyers at any one time within a time frame of three weeks or alternatively each facility can produce over ten thousand TIE fighters a week. The facilities are entirely automated and only require raw or recycled material and planetary resources. There are two; thirty-kilometre long and two-kilometre wide production facilities capable of producing two Executor or Sovereign class Super Star Destroyers each, and that are still under construction. Lastly the Galactic Disrupter also has ten thousand ysalamiri cloning cylinders currently pumping out ten thousand clones a month and we plan to have over two million up and running when the project is completed. The reason for only one clone a month per cloning cylinder is to give time for mental stability and to make sure we do not have an overflow of personnel until they are required to be replaced."

This brought a little worry to Palleon's features. Cloning? Was it too much? As they say less is more. And from what he had heard so far he should have actually checked on the project much sooner. Palleon was proud though and knew that the Empire was in far better a position than ever imaginable. Even the Dark Ring, if it still existed, would be hard pressed against the Galactic Disrupter due to the fact that the Dark Ring was tied to an immobile star unlike the GD, which was capable of sublight and lightspeed. Sheer size didn't always matter as long as it could actually threaten directly and not indirectly.

The technician continued his rundown with large grin on his face. "The Galactic Disrupter is armed with over two hundred million light laser cannons…" He explained the unusual feature. "Because none of our warships are equipped low yield energy weapons we had to design these from the ground up. During the reign of the Emperor, energy weapons of this type were deemed unsuited for ship-to-ship engagements and their use against fighter craft had evidently been rejected. The Empires leaders at the time had thought the size of their ships alone would deter any attack by one-manned fighter craft."

Juion got a knowing look from Palleon. He had been at Endor and had ordered the retreat himself. The lack of anti-fighter weapons on the Super Star Destroyer Executor allowed the attacking A-wings to destroy its bridge deflector tower, and minutes later, allowed an out of control A-wing smash into its bridge, sending the Super Star Destroyer to its 'death' on the surface of the Death Star II.

"After considerable review of every accountable battle since Endor, our tacticians eventually noted one vital fact; the Rebellion's one-manned fighter tactics were met with an almost ninety-percent success rate. We designed the light laser batteries and installed them rather than just having the proposed turbo laser and heavy turbo laser batteries and tractor-beam emplacements." The technician continued. "The GD still has one hundred and fifty million turbo laser and one hundred and fifty million heavy turbo laser cannons, fifty million ion cannons and is equipped with ten million tractor-beam emplacements, one million particle and ionic shield emitters, five million concussion missile launch tubes and one thousand light splitting cloaking devices."

Palleon simply nodded, suppressing a whistle, his years in the Imperial Navy playing against him and the loss of Thrawn, again, had hit him harder than he had admitted to. Beside Palleon, Harsom remained silent, but a slight smile was tearing at his impassive features. This was the biggest thing in existence if their intelligence was to be believed.

"What about the whole point of the project; the Ion Disrupter?" Palleon queried although he didn't think with the current armament, the Ion Disrupter would be needed.

Juion's visage dropped. The technician turned from the console. "Sir, I'm afraid we still haven't completed the design for the Ion Disrupter beam system as we have no way of channelling the amount of raw energy needed for such a drain." He received a blank stare from Palleon.

Harsom spoke: "What about fitting solar panels across the surface…"

"It wouldn't work, we would have to be near a systems sun to gather enough energy, and that would only last a few shots before the entire energy system is drained. But," he quickly added, "we hope to have a solution ready in good time."

Palleon blinked and looked at the tech. "I hope so. Its time the Republic found out that the Empire still exists and is very much a threat."

Captain Juion, Lieutenant Harsom and the technician understood and looked down at the terminal screen. An image of the Galactic Disrupter stretched out into infinity on the screen, impossible for any detail to be picked out at such a great distance, beyond its unfathomable size and wedge shaped angular hull. Behind the great behemoth was a barren planet, and further still, a bright orange star shone among its mottled background. The star had no name, the system was uninhabited and required only a number designation.

* * *

Lando was sat down in the only place he felt fully safe after the Snotzenexer incident, and that was in the lounge of his freighter, the Lady Luck. He was seated in one of the padded chairs, which had been bolted down to the deck. He relaxed back, skimming through his messages. He opened and read the one from Han first. 'Hey buddy,' it read, 'thanks for everything. See ya soon.' Lando frowned at the rather short message, and then, after sending an equally short reply, closed the text and skimmed through his other three messages. Noting one from a small computer parts fabricator in Prasado system, a Borsan Computech Limited. They expressed interest in becoming one of the mines regular clients. Lando sent a quick message to the companies official, informing them to send out a representative of their company to view the mines workings. He'd obviously have to tell his crew to avoid showing the Borsan representative any of the Imperial hardware or the hidden Imperial tech rooms.

He then closed the message folder and opened the Imperial document folder that Jalence had thankfully tagged for him. Lando glanced at the array of five folders each given a code and number tag. Lando opened the top file tagged as 'ISWARO-156'. As he skimmed through the information in the file his eyes widened. "No way." Lando immediately got on the com to Mansenchin.

"Yea? Lando?" The man answered tiredly, he had obviously been sleeping.

"Get Jalence and meet me in the Lady Luck." Lando said.

"What's up?" Mansenchin asked, his voice becoming much more sharper.

"I think you were right. There is another outpost."

Three minutes later, Lando was standing in the Lady Luck's lounge with three people sitting in front of him; Jalence, Herta and Mansenchin. Lobot stood by Lando's side. Lando was speaking.

"Jalence has found out the location of Imperial Special Weapons and Research Outpost one-five-six. Although from reading the file on the outpost I know very little about it except its location: The star system J-12301, it is uninhabited according to our charts and the ones here in the data centre. It is a system of three large planetoids and one gas giant that orbits an orange star. The star produces a very large and strong gravity well that keeps the three large planets in orbit and at the outter limits of the system is an asteroid field. The data on our captured Imperial hardware is dated for nearly thirty years ago and would not have been updated since that time." Lando let his collective audience take it in. "The fact that the outpost is still transmitting is something to be grateful for." He looked over at Mansenchin then across the rest of his people and wondered where Jim was. "I plan on going to check it out but I will need some help, so I'm going to Coruscant." Han may enjoy the escapade, he thought. "Anybody who needs to visit the capitol of the Republic should take the chance. We leave in two hours."

Chapter 2 "The Life of Death"

A man was sitting in a dingy cantina, on the outer-rim planet of Twyona. He stared at a dirty glass that had been placed on the table in front of him. The glass was filled with some type of alcoholic beverage. The man sighed and gave into the temptation of the liquid and slowly, regardless of being repulsed by the filth that seemed to hang from every putrid surface on this planet, sipped the drink. Feeling the tingle of the strong alcohol this man took a large gulp from the glass.

He let the fiery alcohol slosh around in his mouth for several seconds before he allowed it to make a burning trail down his throat.

After this the man finally looked elsewhere but his glass. He took in the cantina. It was a small establishment by what he would consider standard, but that could be due to the fact that broken neon signs poorly lighted almost three fourths of the drinking establishment. As he scanned the room he noticed one freakish patron that cast a glance in his direction. He watched as this alien discussed with his mates around one table and one by one each spider like humanoid looked him over. The man smiled back.

After watching one take a large swig of what could have been, Corellian Whisky, he made a guess after seeing the creature's reaction to it. He watched as the arachnid humanoid staggered up to the table he was sitting at and fell in the seat beside him. The alien grumbled and nearly fell into his lap but steadied himself. "Uh, youse looks like someone wees know." The drunken spider-man said.

The man was repulsed by the aliens unsettling appearance and he uncomfortably moved to the edge of his seat, his hand moving down to his hip, where a small blaster was hidden in the folds of his long, black tunic. He smiled at the inebriated alien. "Well, my good fellow, I don't believe I know or would want to know you." He took another sip from his drink.

The alien eyed the glass and then regarded his comment for several seconds before he laughed, slapping the man in the back. "I knows youse." The alien spat in barely understandable basic. "Youse zat ex-President wees head abouts off za news."

The man froze.

The alien finally remembered what the news reporter had said to be the culprit's name. "Youse zat Snaatzenix…" The alien never had a chance to finish speaking.

Snotzenexer's hand caught the alien in what served as its jaw, stopping the alien from finishing his sentence. Quickly he stood and kicked the chair out from under the spider that fell to the ground in an untidy heap. Several of its arms were stretched out to grasp for some type support. Snotzenexer glanced at the surrounding patrons and noticed that all, but the Spindos, were ignoring the tussle. The Spindo managed to level himself with Snotzenexer. "Yosr gnaa, jurrr thraa!" The creature spat at the Imperial Admiral who obviously couldn't tell if the alien was speaking basic drunkenly or a whole other language.

Snotzenexer saw that the other Spindos were making their way through the tables over to aid their brother, blasters raised. The ex-President of the Republic sidestepped an awkward charge by his current opponent, who tripped and tumbled into some tables causing their occupants to jump away angrily as their drinks flew up into the air in a similar fashion, spilling their contents across the floor and any patrons that were in the way. The first Spindo's tumble ended against the bar and the alien slumped against the greasy plastoid extrusion and didn't move. If that example were anything to go by, the five other spider-men wouldn't be much trouble.

He turned back to them and suddenly rolled as five red energy beams from the alien's blasters chewed the upturned table that had been behind him to pieces. The spilt drinks caught fire and slowly engulfed the table with a blue flame. Snotzenexer rose from his roll and gripped his blaster. Raising the weapon he quickly assessed a way to escape without killing all of them. Several of the cantinas patrons screamed the flames spread and Snotzenexer tried to ignore the sounds and fired two shots from his hand held blaster. The red beams were deadly accurate; the first took one of the aliens in the stomach while the second took a large portion of his partner's head. Both collapsed lifeless.

He fired another shot but not at the aliens, the shot hit a drinking goblet, which exploded, causing a large amount of smoke to fill the air. Thankfully for Snotzenexer, the aliens were drunk and easily distracted by the explosion. While they screamed he turned and quickly headed between the tables and the cantina's customers who were now concentrating on the fire which the Spindo's had started. Several jets of white, frosted looking air, shot down from the ceiling and soon the flame was extinguished. The bartender scowled at Snotzenexer as he passed the bar and almost didn't catch sight of the credit chips that suddenly scattered across the counter. The Imperial looked over his shoulder at the mess. "Sorry." Snotzenexer walked out into the dark streets of Twyona. The bartender waited until he was sure Snotzenexer had gone and collected the chips.

A Bothan sitting at the bar leaned in towards the bartender, his white fur rippling. "Kios. Was that who I thought it was?" He asked.

The bartender carried the cash over to the safe hole in the corner and dumped the lot in. As the last chip rattled into the hole Kios turned back and eyed the Bothan. "Your guess is as good as mine." He shrugged.

The Bothan showed a toothy smile. "You don't think that…"

"I do, Bep. I do."

"Snotzenexer. That ex-President who murdered all those people? C'mon, didn't he die with his wife in that speeder crash on Coruscant?"

Kios looked at the mess over across the drinking area. Wisps of smoke still rose from the moisture-covered table. "That's what the news reports said." The bartender agreed.

Bep'Frist looked at the remains of the carnage too. "Dumb… Spinnies?"

"Spindos."

"What ever." The Bothan shrugged rippling his white fur and moved away from the bar.

* * *

Luke Skywalker walked into the Academy's library carrying several datapads. It was still dark outside and the little light from the glow lamps on the tables inside did little to pierce the dawn gloom, any other person would have been bumping into chairs and tables if they weren't being careful, Luke however had no problem navigating between the tables as he used the Force the light his way.

The room was extremely quiet and his boots made echoing clomps across the floor. He reached one of the library's computer terminals and sat down. The Jedi Master quickly accessed the Academy's database and began his search.

First he checked the star charts for Xarmerr: He entered "Zarmur" and waited as the computer searched for the name. After a few seconds the computer displayed a planet by that name.

ZARMUR… FOURTH PLANET OF THE ZEETO SYSTEM.

FURTHER DETAILS…?

Luke spoke verbally. "Detail planets inhabitants."

TWO RACES OF HUMAN SUB-SPECIES; THE 'ZARIANS' AND THE 'ZAMZ' POPULATE ZARMUR.

ZARIANS ARE STANDARD HUMAN IN ALL APPEARANCES AND HAVE ACHIEVED SPACE FLIGHT, ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN NO RECORD OF DEVELOPMENT OF LIGHTSPEED CAPABILITY… FURTHER INFORMATION IS UNAVAILABLE.

ZAMZ ARE NON-HUMAN IN APPEARANCE… FURTHER INFORMATION IS UNAVAILABLE.

"Unavailable or just classified?" Luke asked, remembering his search for C'baoth twenty years ago. The computer took several seconds to answer.

INFORMATION IS… MISSING.

Luke frowned. Why is there information missing? He thought. Luke then dismissed the planet and its species and tried again. This time the Force gave him the correct spelling of the planet and he inputted "Xarmerr". The computer didn't search for long.

XARMERR… NOT KNOWN.

POSSIBLE SELECTIONS:

XASTAIR

XUREST

XERRGA

MORE SELECTIONS…?

OTHER INFORMATION:

THE LETTERS; "XARMERR" HAVE BEEN LOCATED IN THE FOLLOWING FILE(S):

1. JEDI RECORDS: SHATTURA KOSK.

Luke looked at the unexpected result. "Shattura?" He connected a datapad to the computer. "Download all files regarding Shattura Kosk."

* * *

Captain Garkis Brolander, a middle aged human male about 1.6 meters tall with black hair, blue eyes and topped with a face that made him look far younger than he academically was, ran towards the Imperial shuttles ramp, passing the saluting troopers that were patrolling the hanger. He reached the ramp and darted up the slanted metal.

Garkis glanced over his shoulder at the sound of screeching metal as the Jedi that had been chasing him through the city of Thurloc for the last ten minutes just ripped through the blast door that had closed between the hunter and the hunted with a blue white glowing blade that melted the metal into glowing and liquefied pieces. As the smouldering makeshift door clanged to the ground, the owner of the glowing blade stepped through.

Brolander shouted orders to the fifteen Imperial troops that were situated within the hanger to lay down cover fire. The troops' response was a hail of bright red beams in the direction of the intruder.

Jacen Solo, Jedi Knight, had one of his lightsabers twirling to intercept the bolts that rained in rather close to him. Redirecting several of the bolts back at their source. Several of the black clad fleet troopers crumpled to the ground, blaster rifles clattering across the laminated tiles.

The Imperial Captain paused at the top of the ramp to watch his assailant; curiously he knew it was a bad move when three of the seventeen bolts that had been fired in Jacen's direction were redirected towards Garkis. He flung himself back to avoid the lasers. The deadly beams missed Brolander and continued passed the Captains head as he landed on his back on the ramps decking. Brolander saw Jacen flash a smile in his direction and at the same time he also heard a scream from within the shuttle.

The Imperial scrambled to his feet and bolted up into the shuttle's passenger compartment, then through and into the cockpit. He was faced the sight of the black suited and dead pilot, who was sprawled over the shuttles controls with three steaming craters across the mans back.

The sound of blaster fire from the troops in the hanger became less frequent as Brolander shoved the dead pilot over into the co-pilots chair. He reached over and flipped the switches that controlled the access ramp, closing and sealing the ramp. He immediately slid into the now vacant pilot's couch and activated the shuttles fusion drive. He felt, and heard, the thrum of the twin engines rise. The Imperial crafts repulsers also hummed to life when the Captain flipped the switches.

Jacen spun around blaster shots as they flew by him with improving precision from the remaining Imperial fleet troopers, deflecting the shots when they came too close. He heard the shuttle power up over the vibrating 'vzzm' of his lightsaber and charged the remaining five troopers who stood and rapidly began backing up against the shuttle floating a meter off the ground behind them, firing as they went.

The troopers knew their lives were forfeit when the shuttles ramp had been raised. They also knew their job was now to buy time for the shuttle to escape. With that in mind the troopers changed tactics.

Brolander settled into the role as pilot and gripped the flight stick with his right hand while deactivating the autopilot that he knew would be engaged, through the computer with his left. He raised the landing pylons. He glanced over the shuttles controls, trying to think through his actions in a mental checklist.

The ship rose as Jacen finished the last trooper with a precise slash across the trooper's chest, leaving a blackened cut across his body. Jacen turned to watch the shuttle lift several meters off the ground and begin to move forward when his Force enhanced senses caused him the roll to his left.

The thermal detonator that had been dropped by the trooper exponentially expanded in an orange ball of flame that singed Jacen's right leg. Dammit, he thought, I can't let him escape. The agile Jedi leaped upwards and burst forward over the fallen and partially smouldering troopers and he leapt for the opposite wall to the shuttles retracted wings. Brolander watched the Jedi's leap for the wall from the cockpit, he desperately re-routed power from the unused systems such as the shields and run them into the repulsors. With the increase in power the repulsors lifted the shuttle more rapidly and soon it was above the hanger's peripheral edge. Garkis could see the tall towers of Thurloc city and he could also see the Jedi leap onto the top edge of the hanger.

Jacen hit the duracrete hard and began running along the two-meter wide edge.

Brolander started looking for the weapon controls, he had not diverted power from those systems and still had control. He spotted the targeting computer and activated the main twin laser cannons. The words "SYSTEM INOPERABLE" flashed up. "What in the hells of Sith…" He slapped his head and reached over and toggled the wings. The wings lowered away from the shuttles fuselage and deployed in the familiar upside down 'Y' shape. "SYSTEM OPERABLE" flashed up on the screen.

By now Jacen had ran the full length of the outer wall and prepared to leap onto one of the lowered wings.

The Imperial Captain saw what the Jedi had planned and re-orientated his craft so its nose was pointed directly at the approaching Jacen. He disabled the automatic targeting and he manually targeted the duracrete ten meters in front of the Jedi as he ran.

Jacen sensed the attack a full second before the two blinding white turbo-laser beams lanced out and evaporated the rock he would have been standing on in a white shower. Luckily, Jacen had rolled and leaped off the structures edge to land on the roof of a similarly heightened building.

Brolander depressed the trigger again and he watched the twin lasers lance out once more and destroy the roof of the building that Jacen had landed on causing the nimble Jedi to jump down to the busy street below followed by chunks of burning duracrete and permacrete.

Brolander's target had not been Jacen and he had fired, in fact, just trying to keep the Jedi busy, and he was sure that falling stone on a busy street would do that. He then brought the fusion engines into the mix and blasted skyward heading out over the ocean.

Jacen landed on the street with a roll that, aided by the force, ended with him on his feet looking up at the falling building pieces. With little time and the impending danger he opened his mind to the Force, reaching out, he could sense the falling building work and the many pedestrians that surrounded him, he could feel their fear as they looked up at the tumbling rocks and Jacen knew he had to save them. He raised a hand symbolically and used the Force to create a cushion beneath the chunks of duracrete, as the rocks were milliseconds from the ground they all sailed away and were all brought gently down to the ground around the tasked Jedi. After making sure that no one had been hurt he contacted his sister through the Force. 'Jaina, the Imperial Captain escaped…'

* * *

The city of Thurloc spread out in all directions like an infection would spread out in a bodies blood supply, the blood being the rivers, lakes and oceans and the infectivity being the urban growth that had corrupted the entire river and ocean banks on the northern hemisphere of the once tranquil countryside.

Jaina Solo stood on a near-by hill, her feet scrunching the green grass that covered the ground. Somewhere in the city below was her brother Jacen, they were on the planet Thosis and were in search of an Imperial Captain who had fled from the Republic fleet with his Imperial Star Destroyer and its crew after the fall and disappearance of Snotzenexer and his wife and fellow Imperial Admiral, Sanson. Jaina last saw Jill Sanson at the Academy on Yavin IV when she had come to reclaim her son, David. Jaina had given David to the Imperial Admiral feeling her no longer a threat to the stability of the Republic.

A slight breeze swept Jaina's chestnut brown hair back behind her head. The air felt refreshing to the young Jedi Knight's skin. She smiled as she caught sight of a bird flying through the planets beautiful light-blue sky.

The mid-day sun lit the fluffy white clouds perfectly, Jaina sighed as the sound of scrunching grass came from behind her. She had sensed the approaching person as soon as he'd started up the hill.

Erandis Palpatine, Eran, as he preferred, walked up behind Jaina. He knew she had to know he was there, if not through the Force then she must have heard him.

Jaina turned her head and stared at the approaching man. "Hey you." She greeted.

Eran smiled and reached his hand out to Jaina's shoulder. "Jacen said you were feeling lonely and he sent me back up here to keep you company." Eran sat down among the short green grass of the hilltop and patted the soft ground beside him. "Jacen said he could take the Captain by himself."

Jaina nodded, sat on the grass and turned her gaze back to look over the green landscape before them. "This place is peaceful."

Eran looked across the landscape, agreeing silently with her comment. "Too bad it's trying to become a mini-Coruscant."

"Why do you think that Imperial Captain would bring his destroyer here and then, he himself, hide on the planet?"

"I can't say." Eran began. "Perhaps he felt that he would be safer on the planet." Eran found that comical. "Either way, he is still a danger to…"

Jaina cut him off with a hand gesture. "Jacen couldn't get to him, he escaped in his shuttle." She paused for a moment "We should pursue him."

Eran turned to run for the Scavenger. The Scavenger was a ship that Jacen and Jaina had built along with help from their younger brother Anakin. The ship looked like a bunch of various fighters and pieces of ships cobbled together from scraps of Imperial hardware still around the Yavin IV's jungle and the system in general, from both the Death Star and the more recent attack by the then, Commander Snotzenexer.

Jaina held out her hand, stopping Eran. "He is headed in the opposite direction to us. Just prep the ship."

Eran frowned then nodded and continued to do what he planned on doing without the Jedi's input.

An hour later, Eran had the Scavenger warmed and ready when Jaina, who was now joined by Jacen, boarded their run-off ship. Jacen slid into the pilots seat and his twin sister stepped past Eran to the co-pilots seat. Eran had his own job and was in fact hired by the twins to help them with their mission. "She's all ready." He had offered to do the job for free, and considering his embezzlement with Jacen after winning and accidentally killing (no pun intended) the Jedi in Lightsaber combat he felt he owed something to the Jedi Knight.

The Scavenger lifted off and headed spaceward. Once in orbit the Scavenger's powerful sensors detected the drive trail of the Star Destroyer's huge fusion engines, and Jaina, using quick mathematics, plotted the course that the rogue Star Destroyer had taken when it made the transition to hyperspace. She inputted the coordinates and pulled the hyper-drive lever and the Scavenger stretched out into infinity after the Imperials.


End file.
